Packages which can extend the shelf-life of fruit and vegetables are desirable. Typical packages for fruits and vegetables include aluminum cans, tin-coated steel cans, enamel-coated steel cans, and/or plastic cups having a set shelf-life.
Generally speaking, known packaging for fruits and vegetables has a predetermined, limited shelf life. Toward the end of, and after expiration of, the shelf-life period the packaged fruits and/or vegetables experience color degradation. Especially for packages having transparent covers, such color degradation tends to adversely affect marketability. That adverse affect is due, at least in part, to consumer shoppers being sensitive to off-color products, such as browning.
Many fruits and vegetables are seasonally available. Where the shelf-life of consumer packaging is much less than the time between successive growing seasons, it is sometimes required to temporarily preserve the fruit or vegetable during bulk storage, and then prepare consumer packaging from the bulk storage containers.
Thus, consumer packaging for fruits and vegetables having a shelf life exceeding the time between consecutive harvesting seasons, e.g., a year or more for annual crops, has significant desirability.